EU High Representative says EU Foreign Affairs Council “exchanged views” on Georgian transparency law

Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, on Monday said the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union had “exchanged views” on the controversial Georgian law on transparency of foreign influence.

Borrell said some member states considered the law as “not so important”, while others thought it contradicted the norms and values of the EU, and noted member states had started the discussions on the most appropriate response to its adoption from the bloc, in time for the next foreign ministerial meeting in June in case of its implementation.

The official also said the EU had called on the Georgian authorities to repeal the law, considering the opinion published last week by the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe in its assessment of the legislative piece.

He added the Council had also discussed the upcoming parliamentary elections in Georgia, scheduled for October 26, adding the Georgian Government's actions could “affect the benefits” the country’s citizens would receive as a result of the country’s EU integration.

The Georgian law requires registration of non-commercial legal entities and media outlets in the country as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they derive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad.

Its adoption by the Parliament has been followed by public protests and criticism from Georgia’s foreign partner states.

President Salome Zourabichvili last week vetoed the law, but the ruling party has enough votes in the Parliament to override the veto.